EDO POLL: Thugs force our election materials inspection lawyers, forensic experts to flee INEC office in police presence – PDP
*Raises alarm, 'INEC blocking our access to election materials against court order'
By OUR REPORTER
Lawyers to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) state headquarters in Benin City on court order for the inspection of election materials used for conduct of the recent Edo State governorship polls, have been denied access by officials and police officers, says the party.
In the middle of the access denial, thugs believed to be working for All Progressives Congress (APC), stormed the INEC premises and the PDP lawyers were forced to flee in the presence of police officers who had earlier denied the access granted by court.
In the meantime, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Nigerian Police Force officers of physically preventing its lawyers and forensic experts from even reaching the gates of the INEC office in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
It was reported that the police, stationed outside the premises, refused to allow the PDP team entry.
The situation escalated just 10 minutes after the PDP team arrived, when some thugs also stormed the INEC premises and PDP lawyers were forced to flee the scene.
The party said that the INEC’s alleged action was in contravention of a valid court order secured by Dr. Asue Ighodalo, its governorship candidate.
A chieftain of the PDP, Anthony Ehilabo, raised the alarm on Monday on his X account.
The order, granted by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, directed INEC to allow PDP lawyers and forensic experts to inspect critical election materials used in the controversial September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The court, presided over by Hon. Justice W.I. Kpochi, had on September 29, 2024, issued the ruling after reviewing the motion filed by PDP’s legal team.
The order granted unfettered access to several key documents in INEC’s possession, including voter registers, ballot papers, and results from the BVAS machines used in the election.
The court specifically mandated the inspection of forms EC25B, EC40A, EC40C, and EC8A, which recorded voting and accreditation results from the 4,519 polling units across Edo State.
But the PDP chieftain said despite the clear legal directive, INEC has reportedly stalled the process.
“INEC allow us inspect the BVAS The Court has ordered. You have been served, @inecnigeria stop being partisan,” Ehilabo wrote.
